Yu-Gi-Oh! Ascension
by AsianGuy1137
Summary: In the near future, the advent of virtual technology has revolutionized the world, helping humanity achieve new pinnacles never before seen. The worldwide phenomenon of Duel Monsters has become adapted into a VMMOG known as Duel Portal Online. Despite its massive success, Duel Portal Online is not all that it seems. Witness the stories of four players as they discover its secret.
1. Kazuya's Story I

The sun's glistening rays streaked through the windows of a large classroom, warming the students with its golden radiance. The warmth signaled many of the students, and even woke up a few, to the eminent arrival of the time of the day they had been patiently awaiting for many hours - the end of the school day. Many students proceeded to start packing up and chatter amongst themselves, stirring a growing commotion that caught the attention of the professor avidly scrawling on the blackboard at the head of the classroom.

The professor turned around to face the classroom and cleared his throat with a thoroughness that quickly silenced the commotion and captured the attention of many of the students.

"Ahem," started the professor, "As class has not yet been officially dismissed, I believe I still have permission to keep on teaching. I realize that you're all worked up for summer vacation, only slightly over a week away, but this doesn't mean you should ignore our in-class review sessions. The final exams will be an important part of your grade and serve as a great precursor to the official college entrance exams. Now I know most of you plan on going to a good college so you won't have to waste your life working at a gas station or a fast-food restaurant so it is imperative that you stay focused."

The professor's diatribe had captivated the attention of all of the students causing them to meticulously return to scribbling down notes of the material on the blackboard - all of the students except for one: Kazuya Satoru.

Kazuya was a teenager with black hair, chestnut-colored eyes, and an average stature that made him seem as normal as any teenager. The one quality which made Kazuya stand out in the eyes of the rest of his peers was his failing grades. Although Kazuya possessed an exceptional intelligence that had once afforded him good grades in middle school, Kazuya lost his motivation for studying a long time ago.

Ignoring the proceedings of the class, Kazuya focused on a duel he was having on his datapad against a random opponent, hidden from view behind a large pile of textbooks or so he thought. The professor glanced around the classroom to make sure that the students were all focusing on the lesson. Then he turned to Kazuya, who seemed to be slouching more than usual. The professor immediately became suspicious.

"Kazuya, could you sit up straight? You'll have trouble seeing the board with that stack of textbooks obstructing your view."

"Professor Yosuga," responded Kazuya without even looking up, "I studied the reviewed material on my own time."

"Is that so? Then you must surely be an expert on the subject to not even need to cover it again in class. Perhaps you're so knowledgeable about this lesson that you could even teach it to the class in my stead."

"Oh, that won't be necessary Professor Yosuga. I'm sure you're doing a great job."

"Oh, is that so? Perhaps, you'd like to explain to the rest of the class how to determine the most stable chair conformation of cis-1-t-butyl-4-methylcyclohexane?

"I, um I -"

One of the students sitting in the back screamed out. "Just use the heart of the cards, loser!"

The rest of the class laughed at the comment, well-aware of Kazuya's obsession with the famous card game.

"I - don't - um…"

"What's wrong, Kazuya? Surely you were paying attention to the lessons on chiral stability and structural conformations for unstable intermediation? It was an entire chapter's worth of material, after all."

"I… I forgot. Is that a - does it just have stabilizing resonance structures?"

The rest of the class burst out in laughter.

"Pathetic," remarked the professor snidely, "You don't even care enough about your grades to pay attention in class. I wonder what your parents would think of your disgraceful behavior. They would surely be ashamed of you for throwing your life away…"

As the words resonated through Kazuya's ears, Kazuya started trembling in his seat. Before the professor could say anything else, Kazuya stood up and rushed out of the classroom with his datapad. The rest of the class gasped in surprise.

"That boy is a failure. He will go nowhere in life. Let's not concern ourselves with him."

The professor turned to a tall boy with a stern disposition sitting at the front of the classroom. "Ryouga, would you care to solve this problem just before class is dismissed?"

"Of course," answered Ryouga as he walked up to the board. "The compound shown here has an unstable configuration characteristic of all organic intermediates thus it needs another propagation mechanism to attain the proper configuration. It does not possess resonance chirality so the only way to stabilize the secondary reactions is to induce hyperconjugation in the second order quantum hybrid orbital…"

-x-

- Satoru Residence -

-x-

Kazuya stopped running as he approached the apartment complex his uncle lived in. It was a relatively luxurious establishment in the Katsushika district of Tokyo allowing its tenants to have plenty of space for their personal recreation. The space afforded Kazuya a place to be isolated from the troubles of the rest of the world while he immersed himself into his obsession.

Kazuya entered the building and walked past the lobby to arrive at his uncle's residence. His fingers typed in the digits of the passcode in quick succession from years of practice causing the door to slide open and reveal the extravagant suite that lay ahead.

Kazuya's uncle, a man by the name of Hidetaka Satoru, was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. The sound of Kazuya's arrival hardly stirred his uncle's attention.

"Back already?"

"The review session was short today. We're almost running out of material to look over. I might be able to skip the entire next week."

"But that's the week before your final examinations, right? I would think that your teachers would want you to review the most then."

"I can review by myself if I need it."

"Are you sure? I remember you not doing so well on the midterm for organic chemistry. Maybe you should go seek out your professor to get some extra tutoring."

"I said I'll be fine! Geez, uncle, you don't have to always remind me about everything."

"Alright, alright. Just trying to be a good guardian. Impress me next time, will ya?"

Kazuya ignored his uncle and quietly walked into his room. Inside, the room resembled that of any normal teenager with a bed surrounded by untidy sheets with clothes scattered throughout. In addition, there was a large screen with a virtual neural interface system, consisting of a helmet with a screen and hundreds of extremely sensitive sensors that could transmit and relay data to stimulate the mind into a state of virtual reality. It was a relatively new application of virtual technology created largely through widespread demand with the enormous global popularity of the card game of Duel Monsters. Kazuya had spent a large portion of his parents' savings for him to acquire the system, allowing him to become a beta tester for one of the most anticipated virtual games to be released - Duel Monsters Online.

"Time to get rid of all this stress…"

Kazuya sat down on the cushioned chair by the gaming system. As the system had built-in voice command controls, Kazuya casually stated, "System on," causing the system to immediately turn on and transmit data into Kazuya's mind.

-x-

- ONLINE -

-x-

The logos of the sponsors and designers of the system briefly flashed through Kazuya's interface before quickly fading away. A few seconds later, the main menu appeared.

"Duel Portal Online."

Kazuya transformed into his chosen avatar, a large imposing figure clad in ebony armor with a large broadsword strapped to his back. Kazuya's username displayed: Satsugai-Sha, the slayer. Satsugai-Sha selected the FREE WORLD mode to enter into a massive server that could connect and support up to millions of players. The world was rendered meticulously to the highest quality of detail perceivable by the human eye with seemingly endless landscapes stretching into the horizon with a wide array of diversity reflecting the many biomes of the real world. A player could stand in awe, admiring the sheer beauty or magnitude of the world for hours, but Satsugai-Sha had a different course of action in mind.

Satsugai-Sha engaged the built-in duel function and enabled his status to READY. He then set his minimap visual settings to LOCAL DUELING which automatically tracked the coordinates of every player that had their duel modes set to READY within a one kilometer radius. Satsugai-Sha only spotted one duelist, a strange contrast to the usually abundantly filled world of Duel Portal Online. The duelist was only a hundred meters away and had set their record to PUBLIC allowing any duelist to look up their profile and see their dueling record alongside the statistical data.

-x-

- PROFILE -

Name: Oki no Akatsuki

Gender: N/A

Rank: 102547

W/L Ratio: N/A

Statistics: N/A

-x-

"A noobie, huh? Easy pickings to start off the session."

Satsugai-Sha quickly jogged to the location. The environment consisted of a large metropolitan area that had fallen into ruin being encroached upon by the lush, surrounding forest. It was a classic portrayal of the popular post-apocalyptic setting. Satsugai-Sha walked further into the ruins and noticed a large clearing with a player in the center. Satsugai-Sha sent the player a message.

Satsugai-Sha: Yo, would you like to duel?

The player's avatar consisted of a masked figure clad in a pristine white cloak. The player turned to face Satsugai-Sha.

"Yes. Let us duel."

Satsugai-Sha activated his virtual duel disk and shuffled his deck while his opponent mirrored his actions. The two simultaneously declared, "Duel!"

-x-

Duel Start

Satsugai-Sha: 8000 (5/0/0) || Oki no Akatsuki: 8000 (5/0/0)

-x-

The coin flip landed in favor of the masked player, giving him the choice.

"I will start," declared the masked player as he drew a card.

-x-

Turn 1

Satsugai-Sha: 8000 (5/0/0) || Oki no Akatsuki: 8000 (6/0/0)

-x-

"I summon Seraph of Prophecies!"

-x-

Seraph of Prophecies

Monster | LIGHT | **** | ATK: 1800 | DEF: 1200

Fairy | Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 Fairy-Type monster from your Deck to your hand except "Seraph of Prophecies". Discard 1 Fairy-Type monster from your hand.

-x-

"Using its effect," continued the player, "I add Seraph of Salvation from my deck to my hand and discard it. Its effect activates, letting me draw one card."

-x-

Seraph of Salvation

Monster | LIGHT | **** | ATK: 1500 | DEF: 1000

Fairy | Effect: When this card is sent to the Graveyard: Draw 1 card. During either player's turn: You can discard 1 card and banish this card from the Graveyard; banish 1 Fairy-Type monster you control and return it to the field in the same Battle Position at the start of the next Phase.

-x-

The masked player inserted a card into his duel disk's S/T slot. "I activate Solar Recharge by discarding Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress to draw two cards and mill two cards. One of the cards milled is Compensation which lets me draw a card."

-x-

Compensation

Trap| Normal

When this card is sent to the Graveyard: Draw 1 card.

-x-

"To finish," added the man, "I'll set one monster and one support card. Turn end."

-x-

Turn 2

Satsugai-Sha: 8000 (6/0/0) || Oki no Akatsuki: 8000 (6/1/1)

-x-

Satsugai-Sha Field:

N/A

-x-

Oki no Akatsuki Field:

1 Set Monster

1 Set Support

-x-

"A graveyard-oriented strategy, huh? Interesting. I summon Forerunner Avian!"

-x-

Forerunner Avian

Monster | WIND | **** | ATK: 1800 | DEF: 800

Winged-Beast | Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower WIND monster from your hand in addition to your Normal Summon/Set.

-x-

"Using its effect," stated Satsugai-Sha, "I'll bring out Malevolent Avian!

-x-

Malevolent Avian

Monster | WIND | **** | ATK: 1800 | 1200

Winged-Beast | Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can destroy 1 Support Card on the field. You must control 2 or more face-up WIND monsters to activate and resolve this effect.

-x-

"My avian destroys your set support card!"

The masked player stood motionless as a fierce whirlwind sliced through the set support card, cutting it into a rain of pixels.

"There's a good chance your set card is a Ryko so I'll overlay my two monsters to Xyz Summon Lightning Chidori! When it's successfully Xyz Summoned, it spins one set card you control to your deck. In this case, your set monster is spun!"

The masked player still showed no concern now that his field was clear.

"Now," continue Satsugai-Sha, "Lightning Chidori, attack him directly!"

"In response," declared the masked player, "I special summon Guardian Angel from my hand."

-x-

Guardian Angel

Monster | LIGHT | * | ATK: 0 | DEF: 0

Fairy | Effect: When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, then end the Battle Phase. During your Main Phase: You can tribute this card; draw 1 card.

-x-

The thunder beast stopped its assault and retreated back to Satsugai-Sha's side of the field.

"Fine," said Satsugai-Sha, "I'll set two cards and end."

-x-

Turn 3

Satsugai-Sha: 8000 (2/1/2) || Oki no Akatsuki: 8000 (6/1/0)

-x-

Satsugai-Sha Field:

1 Lightning Plover (R4/X2/1900/1600)

2 Set Support

-x-

Oki no Akatsuki Field:

N/A

-x-

"I normal summon Card Trooper and use its effect to mill three cards, increasing its attack to nineteen hundred points. Then, I activate Divine Resurrection."

-x-

Divine Resurrection

Spell | Normal

Activate only if you control 1 face-up Fairy-Type monster. Pay 1000 Life Points; Special Summon 1 Fairy-Type monster from your Graveyard.

-x-

Oki no Akatsuki: 8000 - 7000

-x-

"Divine Resurrection brings back Darklord Superbia. Then, Darklord Superbia brings back Archlord Kristya! Now, I activate Divine Judgment, targeting your two set cards!"

-x-

Divine Judgment

Spell | Normal

Activate only if you control 1 face-up Fairy-Type monster. Pay 1000 Life Points; destroy 1 card for each face-up Fairy-Type monster you control.

-x-

Oki no Akatsuki: 7000 - 6000

-x-

"Chain," responded Satsugai-Sha, "With Counter Cyclone!"

-x-

Counter Cyclone

Spell | Quick-Play

Activate only if you control a face-up WIND monster. Negate the activation of a Support Card and destroy it.

-x-

"Irrelevant," declared the masked player, "Darklord Superbia, attack his Lightning Chidori!"

The fallen angel swept over to Satsugai-Sha's side of the field and unleashed a swirling orb of dark energy on the thunder beast. Before the orb could hit the thunder beast, it dissipated alongside the fallen angel.

"I responded to your attack with Wind Barrier, negating the attack and returning your monster to your hand!"

-x-

Wind Barrier

Trap | Normal

Activate only if you control a face-up WIND monster. Return an attacking monster your opponent controls to its respective owner's hand and draw 1 card.

-x-

"Archlord Kristya, finish the task by destroying his Chidori!"

The archangel swept across the field and pierced the thunder beast with a pummel of blinding light, causing the thunder beast to shatter into a shower of pixels.

-x-

Satsugai-Sha: 8000 - 7100

-x-

"Then," continued the masked player, "Card Trooper will attack you directly!"

-x-

Satsugai-Sha: 7100 - 5200

-x-

Satsugai-Sha stepped back from the assault and started panting. The virtual pain simulator was particularly sensitive in this duel.

"Is that it?"

"Enter main phase two. I tribute Guardian Angel to draw one card. Then, I set another card and end my turn."

-x-

Turn 4

Satsugai-Sha: 5200 (3/0/0) || Oki no Akatsuki: 6000 (4/2/1)

-x-

Satsugai-Sha closed his eyes and took a big breath. Then, he opened he eyes and smirked.

"Not bad beginner, but nothing I can't handle. I summon Whirlwind Avian and use its effect to bounce your Kristya back to your hand."

-x-

Whirlwind Avian

Monster | WIND | **** | ATK: 1700 | DEF: 800

Winged-Beast | Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can return 1 monster your opponent controls to its respective owner's hand.

-x-

"Response," declared the masked player, "With my Seraph of Salvation in grave. By banishing itself and discarding a card, I can banish my monster and bring it back during the next phase."

"That's all I need. I activate Nest Migration by targeting my Whirlwind Avian to special summon another one from my deck! My second Avian will bounce your Card Trooper to your hand! Then, I'll overlay the two to Xyz Summon Empty Space Manipulator!"

-x-

Empty Space Manipulator

Monster | WIND | Rank 4 | ATK: 2100 | DEF: 1800

Psychic | Xyz | Effect:

2 Level 4 monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 2 Xyz Materials from this card to target 1 banished monster; Special Summon that target to your side of the field. Its effect is negated. When this card is removed from the field: Banish the monster summoned by this effect.

-x-

"And that's not all. I activate my last card, Fluttering Gust!"

-x-

Fluttering Gust

Spell | Normal

Special Summon 1 WIND monster from your Graveyard. Its effect is negated. Return it to your hand during the End Phase.

-x-

"Fluttering Gust lets me bring back Forerunner Avian," explained Satsugai-Sha, "Which means I have enough to end this."

"Now," continued Satsugai-Sha, "Battle Phase! Empty Space Manipulator will attack you directly!"

-x-

Oki no Akatsuki: 6000 - 3900

-x-

"Followed by Archlord Kristya!"

-x-

Oki no Akatsuki: 3900 - 1100

-x-

"And finally, Forerunner Avian, finish him!"

"Response!" declared the masked man, "With my set card, Call of the Haunted!"

"What? No -"

"Call of the Haunted special summons Darklord Zerato from my graveyard in attack."

"I'll cancel my attack then."

Satsugai-Sha gritted his teeth in frustration at his own misplay. If I attacked with my weaker monsters first, I could've at least traded Kristya and his Darklord Zerato… It doesn't seem like there's anything I can do at this point.

"Turn end."

-x-

Turn 5

Satsugai-Sha: 5200 (0/3/0) || Oki no Akatsuki: 1100 (5/1/1)

-x-

"This duel was interesting, but it's time to end it. I summon Card Trooper and use his effect. Then, I activate Forbidden Alchemy!"

-x-

Forbidden Alchemy

Spell | Normal

Target 1 monster in your Graveyard; exile it. Send cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard equal to the Level of the banished monster. Draw 1 card.

-x-

"I exile Darklord Desire from the grave to mill ten cards and draw one card. One of the cards milled was Seraph of Redemption, letting me draw an extra card."

-x-

Seraph of Redemption

Monster | LIGHT | **** | ATK: 1500 | DEF: 1000

Fairy | Effect: When this card is sent to the Graveyard: Draw 1 card. During either player's turn: You can discard 1 card and banish this card from the Graveyard; Special Summon 1 Fairy-Type monster from your Graveyard.

-x-

"Now," continued the masked player, "Since I have at least four dark monsters in my graveyard, I'll use Darklord Zerato's effect by discarding one card to clear your field."

Satsugai-Sha grunted helplessly.

"Archlord Kristya returns to the top of my deck. Then, I activate Trade-In to discard Superbia to draw into Kristya. As I have exactly four fairies in the grave, I'll special summon it. Now, I enter the Battle Phase. Kristya, attack him directly!"

-x-

Satsugai-Sha: 5200 - 2400

-x-

"Then," concluded the masked player, "Darklord Zerato, eliminate him!"

-x-

Satsugai-Sha: 2400 - 0

-x-

Duel End

Winner: Oki no Akatsuki

-x-

Satsugai-Sha stumbled backwards, engulfed in confusion and despair.

"How… how could I have lost to a noob?"

Suddenly, a painful sensation flooded Satsugai-Sha's senses and overwhelmed him, filling his conscious mind with nothing but excruciating agony. Satsugai-Sha's vision started blurring, then fading as the last vestiges of consciousness crept away.

"Another failure," stated the masked player, "At this rate, the search will be hopeless. Contact him. It's time to speed the process up."

-x-

- Unknown -

-x-

Kazuya was back in his real body, alone in an endless expense of nothingness. Kazuya turned around to see an endless void, stretching into every direction as far as his sight could make out.

"Where am I? Why am I here?"

His voice echoed throughout the surroundings and then… silence remained.

Kazuya began to despair, but before he could be immersed in a panic attack, a blinding light emerged in the horizon. Peering deep into its source, Kazuya could make the outline of a strange figure in a vehicle of some kind. As Kazuya stood up and prepared to seek the figure out, the surroundings changed into the same blinding radiance that had emanated from the figure.

"Kazuya Satoru, known as Kami no Satsugai-Sha in this world, it seems that the program has deemed you worthy of surviving the cleansing. This is an honor bestowed upon few of your specimen. You will have to prove yourself in many trials in the time to come, but should you succeed, you will be the harbinger of a new age and become the last hope for humanity in the Great Purge. Unmei wa anata ni yūri ni hataraku koto ga…"

Kazuya's vision started fading again as consciousness slipped away. Then, everything became dark again.


	2. Kazuya's Story II

"He's starting to wake up - go get his uncle!"

Kazuya's eyes slowly opened. All he could see was a blinding white. A few seconds later, the lighting subsided as Kazuya's vision came into bearing, making out the surroundings as a small room. Kazuya sat up, realizing that he was in a bed.

"Where am I?"

A man promptly dressed in a white lab coat walked over, smiling.

"I see you're awake Kazuya. You're in the hospital. Your uncle brought you in. You've been asleep for almost two days. I'm Dr. Hatsuo and I'm your attending physician for the remainder of your stay here. Would you like to speak to your uncle?"

"Yes please."

"Alright, I'll let him know."

"Thank you," mumbled Kazuya as the physician walked out of the room. Kazuya's head was swirling, as if his head had been crammed full of several decades worth of information. It was disorientating.

"What happened to me…"

The door opened. Kazuya's uncle, Hidetaka Satoru, walked through. When he saw Kazuya, Hidetaka's face contorted into a strange expression, almost as if it were conflicted in choosing between which of many emotions to convey.

"Uncle," acknowledged Kazuya, "What happened to me?"

"Oh Kazuya… I was so worried. I found you wearing that virtual game helmet, lying back on your chair, passed out. I thought you were just tired, but when I checked back the next morning, you were still in the same position, completely unmoved. I got worried and unplugged the virtual interface, but you still didn't respond so I brought you here."

"I was passed out for two whole days?"

"Yes, the doctor said that it's been happening a lot lately, all around the world. They think there's something wrong with that virtual interface system you kids use. The company has announced that they would make a public statement sometime later today."

"There are others like me then… Do you know how many were passed out?"

"I don't know exactly, but when I brought you here, they had trouble finding a room for you. I saw many other parents waiting with their kids outside. Apparently, you're the first one to wake up."

"I see. Do you know when exactly the statement is going to be released."

"It's supposed to be broadcast around five tonight. That's in less than an hour. Did you want to watch?"

"Yes, I think it's for the best. I had no idea something like this could happen."

"Alright. Are you hungry at all?"

At the mention of hunger, Kazuya's stomach unleashed a wild spasm of growls. Kazuya's face turned sour.

"I'm STARVING… I feel like I could eat anything."

Hidetaka chuckled lightly. "Looks like some things never change. I'll go see what they have at the cafeteria."

On his way out, Hidetaka turned on the television screen at the end of the room facing Kazuya.

"Channel sixty-one."

The screen changed to the desired channel directly in response to the voice command.

"This should be it," stated Hidetaka, "It'll be on soon."

"Thank you uncle."

A few minutes after Hidetaka left the room, the current program blanked out and became replaced by a Public Service Announcement screen.

"This must be it," noted Kazuya out loud.

The screen then shifted to a man standing behind a podium, surrounded by microphones and security officers.

"Good evening. I am Takahashi Yoto, head of the Japanese branch of the public relations department of Virtual World Applications, the leading applied virtual technology corporation in the world. We are also one of the primary sponsors for many virtual technology gaming systems, including the Infinity Works platform that currently powers the highly anticipated Duel Portal Online game, based on the worldwide phenomenon of Duel Monsters.

"It has come to our attention that there have been many reports of interface problems with the gaming system, specifically for the game of Duel Portal Online, and as such, our head engineers and developers in the applied gaming division have been looking into resolving any technical difficulties our users may be experiencing. The specific number must remain undisclosed for conserving the sanctity of our private business practices, but I have been assured that any problem is only temporary and is fully within the scope of our experts to handle.

Therefore, plus remain calm and understand that we are expected to resolve any complications within the next few days -"

The broadcast was suddenly cut short as static momentarily engulfed the screen. Then, the screen shifted to the image of a masked man clad in a white cloak. The door opened as Kazuya's uncle walked in with two large boxes and two pairs of chopsticks.

"Ah, Kazuya, did I miss anything?"

Kazuya was too shocked by the image on the screen to reply coherently.

"Kazuya? Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

"That was the player I faced, just before I blacked out."

The masked man in the screen started speaking.

"People of the world. I am an emissary of Yliaster. We have been the guardians of humanity, helping guide the progress of civilization since its inception in order to allow humanity to reach its full potential and inherit the mantle of the world.

"Through many decades of observing the state of the world as modern civilization has left it in, we have deemed modern civilization to be unworthy of inheriting such a mantle. Despite the technological breakthroughs civilization has achieved, the state of the world is rapidly deteriorating into a worse state than it has ever been. You flood your oceans with waste, your atmosphere with pollutants, and strip your lands bare to attain what little resources are left. Too many lives exist for the sake of a pointless existence of satisfying their selfish base needs leaving humanity's collective will shattered and forsaken.

"We have deemed civilization to be a deterrent to achieving the true potential humanity and therefore unworthy of existence. As civilization now thrives on the technological advancements we have provided it, so shall it fall through the abuse of these gifts. We have unleashed The Cleansing upon your civilization. As I speak, thousands of users of your virtual technology programs have been purified of their tainted existence to give humanity a chance to outgrow the corruption of civilization.

"Those who live through the purification of The Cleansing shall ascend to greatness and establish the foundation for humanity to inherit its mantle, its destiny. Those who do not prove themselves worthy shall be purified and extinguished. Do not think that you can stop The Cleansing by simply logging off of your virtual system. Those who do shall be purified first. Who among you shall be proven worthy of becoming the exemplar for humanity? Who among you shall inherit the mantle? Show us.

The broadcast terminated and the screen shifted back to the public relations speaker.

"Well, that was… certainly unusual. Please disregard that broadcast. Our network appears to have been hacked by a presently unknown source, no doubt for some sort of elaborate, tasteless joke. As I was saying, there is no need to panic. Everything will be resolved in due time. At Virtual World Applications, our guarantee is satisfaction through perfection. Until further notice from future updates, have a good night, people of Japan."

Hidetaka turned off the television.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know… Probably some sort of elaborate prank, just like the speaker said."

"But, who would have the capability to hack into one of the most secure networks in the country just for the sake of a joke? I'll have to look into it some other time. There has to be someone out there who knows what's going on."

"I'm sure you're right. Listen, uncle, I'm feeling all better now. I think I was just exhausted from having almost no sleep so far this week. Can I get checked out soon?"

"Of course, Kazuya, I'll just need to go speak to the doctor."

Hidetaka left the room. Kazuya didn't know what to make of the bizarre broadcast that had just transpired. The masked man was identical to the player Kazuya had faced in Duel Portal Online. Kazuya was certain about that.

"But, it couldn't be…"

Kazuya strained himself to search through the recesses of his mind, trying to remember any detail that he might have overlooked. Then, a memory came to him. Kazuya remembered what happened after the duel. He lost consciousness, but then he somehow regained it. Kazuya remembered seeing a blinding light and a figure in the distance. The figure spoke to him.

_Kazuya Satoru, known as Kami no Satsugai-Sha in this world, it seems that the program has deemed you worthy of surviving The Cleansing. This is an honor bestowed upon few of your specimen. You will have to prove yourself in many trials in the time to come, but should you succeed, you will be the harbinger of a new age and become the last hope for humanity in the Great Purge. Unmei wa anata ni yūri ni hataraku koto ga…_

Kazuya could hear shouting outside. It sounded like his uncle was having a heated argument with some of the hospital staff.

"What is it now…"

The door burst open as Hidetaka stormed inside, followed by the attending physician from before and what seemed like two security officers.

"What's going on," asked Kazuya, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Kazuya," replied Hidetaka, "These men have something to tell you."

One of the security officers walked up to Kazuya's side.

"Kazuya Satoru, I presume. I'm officer Bayatou of Sector Security. Before you can be checked out, I'll need you to answer a few questions. This is a matter of national security so your full cooperation is expected, do you understand?"

Kazuya nodded silently.

"I've been informed that you were on Duel Portal Online. Is that correct?"

"Yes. I blacked out and was unconscious for two days."

"I see. What exactly were you doing in the game?"

"Nothing special, just dueling another player."

"So it seems. From the online records, it appears that you lost that duel. Is that correct?"

"Yes. I would say it was a close duel, but I made a misplay and my opponent got the best of me."

"Yes, just as the record shows. Were you aware of anything unusual occurring before, during or after the duel?"

"Not particularly. The pain simulation was especially high during the duel, but it happens sometimes."

"That will be noted."

"Can I ask what this is even about? How many more questions will I have to answer?"

The attending physician turned to the security officer. The security officer nodded. The physician sighed and turned to Kazuya.

"Kazuya, I'm afraid that I must deem you unfit to check out from the hospital at your discretion."

"What, why not?"

The officer's face changed into an expression of distress.

"The reason is… complicated. You are one of the few people to have logged off of a virtual interface system and wake up. There are thousands of reports of similar cases throughout Japan and the rest of the world. Many of the others have been unconscious for several days now. Some have officially been declared comatose and even brain dead. The fact that you're awake at all is… nothing short of a miracle."

Kazuya could barely believe his ears.

"This is… a lot to take in. I'll need a moment to think about what you just said."

"Of course, take your time."

"It doesn't sound believable, but I think I understand where you're going. You need understand what makes me different, why I woke up and… so many others didn't."

"Wait," interrupted Hidetaka, "But surely something like this must be consented to."

"Yes, it would usually require the consent from all respective parties involved, but this time, we can't afford to risk Kazuya saying no."

The officer turned to the physician.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I have the power to declare Kazuya unfit to leave the hospital and require hospitalization indefinitely."

"You must understand," interjected the officer, "That something like this is completely unprecedented. We could be in a state of national emergency, even global for all we know. I'm only following orders I've been given by my higher-ups."

"This is ridiculous," objected Hidetaka, "As a citizen of Japan, my nephew has rights. I will take this up in court if I have to."

Kazuya interrupted. "No!"

Hidetaka looked at Kazuya with bewilderment. "What? You don't mean you're actually considering this. This is preposterous. Complete nonsense."

"You can think what you want uncle, but I've made up my mind. The masked man from that strange broadcast, I recognize him. He was my opponent in the duel I had just before I blacked out. It can't just be a coincidence. There's something behind all of this. Something big. If I can help uncover whatever's behind all of this, then I'll do whatever I can to help."

"But Kazuya… are you sure?"

"Absolutely uncle. I've never felt more sure of anything in my life."

"Then it's decided," concluded the officer, "Kazuya Satoru, we are grateful that you understand what kind of situation we're in. We'll escort you home. When you're ready, we'll be headed to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Then, we'll get to the bottom of this."

Kazuya nodded. He wasn't entirely sure what he had placed himself in, but he was sure that he wanted to be a part of it. Duel Monsters was the only life he had known, and if he could help out with his dueling prowess, then maybe he could find a purpose in life.


	3. Snake's Story I

A series of monitors of varying sizes lay on a large platform. The screens were full of data streams, lighting up the area in a light blue contrasting the surrounding darkness. A young man sat on a chair facing the screens. The upper part of his face was covered by a sea of scruffy hair barely concealed behind a blue beanie hat with yellow stripes while a pair of dark shades covered his eyes. A small boy wearing a sports jersey sat on a bench next to the man.

"Port configuration set to public. Overloading router traffic. Backup pathways initiating and full system scan intercepted by our little package. The scan should pick up the stats we want them to see while all their money will magically drain into an undisclosed bank account. Everything's going perfectly."

A man emerged from the shadows just outside of the reach of the glimmer of the monitors. It was the twenty-nine year old Alphonso Maratoni, the mastermind of a trio of professional hackers and con-artists known as the Praetorii Professionals. Alphonso had carefully groomed hair with matching well-trimmed facial hair. His expression was calm and confident, giving the man an aura of suave competence. Finally, Alphonso wore a black formal business suit to complement his looks, giving him an overall professional yet intimidating impression.

"As usual. Good job Snake, looking after the financial situation of your family."

Snake chuckled. "What can I say? I have a soft spot for pathetic little kids that have no direction in life."

"I'm only trying to be more like you," pouted the boy, "Since you're my big brother, you're supposed to be my role model."

"Ha, that I am, Gabriel, that I am."

Snake then turned around in his seat and patted the Gabriel to his little brother's annoyance.

"Hey, stop that," complained the boy, "I'm almost eleven. Old enough to become a contestant in the Underground League!"

"Not on my watch you're not. The Underground League is no place for kids. Trust me."

The man took off his shades, revealing a set of prosthetic eyes.

"Getting these babies nearly cost me a fortune, and I'm not about to pay a fortune to get you out of trouble with the so-called sponsors of the Underground League.

"Good thing other people are so generous," said Alphonso, "With their loosely protected bank accounts these days."

"You mean good thing I'm so good at convincing people to be generous," corrected Snake.

"Good thing you're so smart," added Gabiel, "I don't understand any of this hacking stuff."

Snake smiled. "Well, since I am supposed to be your model, I suppose I could teach a few things to get you started. First, do you understand the basic concept of the online banking system?"

"Of course, they're just like real banks except stored in virtual space and kept in check by computers."

"Smart kid," remarked Alphonso with a slight tone of sarcasm.

"Shut up Alphonso," chided Snake, "If you were such an expert on the subject, you wouldn't need me here."

Snake turned to face his little brother.

"They are stored in virtual space, but the system isn't quite the same. Virtual assets are stored in a collective server with randomly dispersed ids through the array of networks. In principle, no server can be hacked directly because all the wealth is distributed through complex computer-generated algorithms."

"Oh okay, so you just have to figure out what the algorithms are by testing the different constraints on the system by approaching from several different angles."

"Again, not quite right Gabriel," replied Snake, "Computer generated algorithms have incredibly complex mathematical axioms that they operate under. Since computers are thousands of times more efficient than the human brain at processing data and deciphering patterns, trying to manually decrypt the algorithms could take years, if not decades."

"I see… Uh, then how do you do it?"

"Well, each system has their own specific ways to keep track of transfers, deposits, any kind of interaction that requires a direct connection between both the input source and the output source. So whenever any kind of data is being transferred, the routers that normally turn away any kind of traffic relaxes. That's when I overload the system with an excessive amount of input, usually spam, causing any transactions to pause as they perform a full scan of all the traffic."

"Wow…" Gabriel tried to sound fascinated, but he still couldn't wrap his head around the idea. Apparently Snake noticed as he chuckled a little.

"Don't worry, it's not something I expect you to grasp until you're older. Would you like me to continue?"

"Sure."

"Well, since overloading the system usually reduces the reaction time of all of the built-in safety measures, a skilled hacker should be able to track down the id values any incoming traffic would need to be able to be properly transferred between the sources. Then, it just becomes a matte r of disguising any input you have with the matching ids well enough to fool the routers. Sometimes it takes a few tries, but I always manage to make it work."

Gabriel nodded slowly, but his facial expression gave away how confused he was.

"Good to know," stated Alphonso, "Make sure you're on top of your game tomorrow. We've got a serious contract."

"Any specifics," asked Snake.

"This one involves trying to manually counter-program overriding settings for a virtual gaming system."

"A virtual gaming system?"

"Yes, our old friends from the Underground League are looking for a chance for aggressive expansion of their enterprise."

"Is that another way of saying they want me to sabotage the servers?"

"No, nothing like that. In fact, they want to do quite the opposite. Business is slower than usual with the growing popularity of Duel Portal Online. Our clients aren't foolish enough to try to stop the progress of technology so instead, they want to be a part of it."

"Ah, I see. They want me to help them hack into the server for them so that they can form a virtual Underground League, so to speak."

"Essentially."

"That'd be a hard job, even on my best day. Will the pay be worth it?"

"They'll be tripling the standard rate. In addition, they said that they'd be willing to forgive any old debts we may have accrued over the years. As a sign of good faith, they've even given us a front payment of twenty-five grand to get started."

Snake whistled again. "If that's true…"

"We'll have enough money to start on that investment plan you designed. We'll never need another contract again."

"Almost sounds too good to be true. What's our schedule?"

"We have a month, max. I expect it'll take considerably shorter, but there's no need to rush it."

"I feel inclined to agree. It's a deal."

"All right then, you two go rest up now. We've got a big day ahead of us."

Alphonso walked away, leaving the two brothers alone. Snake shut down the computers and turned off the monitors.

"You heard the man Gab," said Snake, "We've got a big day ahead of us. You should go rest up."

"But I haven't done any training today?"

"Training?"

Snake gave his little brother a quizzical look before realizing what the "training" was referring to.

"You mean that training… right. Are you still set on becoming a pro duelist? Even if you do somehow get enough sponsors to get into one of the most popular entertainment industries in the world, the life of a pro isn't easy. Constantly dealing with fame, money, gorgeous women, lavish parties…"

"Can't be much worse than what you do."

Snake gave his brother a grimace before switching into an expression of amusement.

"Alright. I guess I could spare the five minutes it'll take me to hand you your behind."

"Not this time," proclaimed Gabriel with an air of confidence, "I've been practicing with Alphonso when he's not out making arrangements and stuff. I almost beat him a few times, and he's at least twice as good as you."

"That's a bold claim chump, considering that I always go easy on you."

"I guess there's only one way to find out."

"I guess you're right. Time to bring it."

The two brothers readied their duel disks, walked to opposite sides of the room, and simultaneously declared, "Duel!"

''

Duel Start

Snake || Gabriel

''

"I'll let you have the first move, Gab."

The boy nodded and drew a card to start his turn.

''

Turn 1

Snake: 8000 (5/0/0) || Gabriel: 8000 (6/0/0)

''

"I'll start by activating Pot of Duality!"

Gabriel picked up the top three cards of his deck and showed them to Snake.

Cyclone. Thunder Sea Horse. Mirror Force.

"I'll choose Thunder Sea Horse. I discard it to add two Pahunders from my deck to my hand. Then, I'll set two support cards and end."

''

Turn 2

Snake: 8000 (6/0/0) || Gabriel: 8000 (5/0/2)

''

"Playing it safe I see. Shame it won't do you any good. I set a support card and summon Voltaic Inducer."

''

Voltaic Inducer

Monster | DARK | **** | ATK: 1900 | DEF: 1500

Thunder | Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can destroy 1 card you control; destroy 1 card your opponent controls. If this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can add 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Graveyard to your hand except "Voltaic Inducer".

''

"Voltaic Inducer's effect activates letting me destroy my set card your right side set card."

The Thunder monster unleashed a discharge of crackling static bolts which rapidly consumed and obliterated the two cards.

"Then," continued Snake, "Since my set Unexpected Repercussions was destroyed, its effect activates, destroying your other support card!"

''

Unexpected Repercussions

Trap | Normal

When this card is destroyed: Destroy 1 card your opponent controls.

''

"That's so unfair!" pouted Gabriel.

"Hey, I told you I wasn't going to go easy on you. Now, Voltaic Inducer will attack you directly!"

Gabriel: 8000 - 6100

"To finish off," stated Snake, "I'll set one support card and end."

''

Turn 3

Snake: 8000 (3/1/1) || Gabriel: 6100 (6/0/0)

''

"I summon Pahunder! Then, I activate Volatile Sparks!"

''

Volatile Sparks

Spell | Normal

Activate only if you control a Thunder-Type monster. Destroy 1 card on the field. Neither player can activate cards of the destroyed card's type until the end of your opponent's next turn.

''

Snake only smiled as his set card was shattered into a spree of pixels, revealing the card to be Silver Sentinel.

"When will you learn, little brother, that you can't just rush into things?"

"I'm not done yet! I use Pahunder's effect to normal summon Sishunder. Sishunder's effect triggers, letting me banish Thunder Sea Horse from my grave and return it to my hand during the End Phase of this turn. Then, I'll overlay Pahunder and Sishunder to Xyz Summon Aegis Champion!"

''

Aegis Champion

Monster | LIGHT | Rank 4 | ATK: 2400 | DEF: 2000

Warrior | Xyz | Effect:

2 Level 4 LIGHT monsters

Once per turn: If this card would be destroyed, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card instead.

''

"Enter Battle Phase," declared Gabriel, "Aegis Champion, destroy Voltaic Inducer!"

''

Snake: 8000 - 7500

''

"With that, I'll end."

"During the End Phase, Silver Sentinel special summons itself and targets your Champion for destruction!"

"Chain," declared Gabriel, "By detaching a Xyz Material, Aegis Champion isn't destroyed. Then, Thunder Sea Horse returns to my hand."

''

Turn 4

Snake: 7500 (4/1/0) || Gabriel: 6100 (4/1/0)

''

"I set a support card and summon Voltaic Stabilizer!"

''

Voltaic Stabilizer

Monster | DARK | **** | ATK: 1800 | DEF: 1400

Thunder | Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can destroy 1 card you control; Special Summon 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Graveyard. If this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can add 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Graveyard to your hand except "Voltaic Stabilizer".

''

"I'll use Stabilizer's effect by destroying my sentinel to bring back Voltaic Inducer. Inducer's effect activates, letting me destroy my backrow to destroy your monster!"

"Chain," responded Gabriel, "By detaching the last material from Aegis Champion, its destruction is prevented!"

"My support card was Compensation, letting me draw one card."

"Not for long. I overlay my two monsters to Xyz Summon Super-Voltaic Magnetizer!"

''

Super-Voltaic Magnetizer

Monster | DARK | Rank 4 | ATK: 2400 | DEF: 1500

Thunder | Xyz | Effect:

2 Level 4 "Voltaic" monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Special Summon 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Graveyard. Once per turn: You can target 1 card you control and 1 card your opponent controls; destroy them. If this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can add 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.

''

Snake set another support card. "I'll Magnetizer's effect by targeting both my set support card and your monster to destroy both!"

Gabriel watched helplessly as the thunder-charged mechanical construction held out its hand towards the warrior, unleashing a storm of electricity, obliterating the warrior into a shower of pixels.

"Now, Magnetizer, attack him directly!"

Gabriel: 6100 - 3700

"Finally, I'll set another support card and end."

''

Turn 5

Snake: 7500 (1/1/1) || Gabriel: 3700 (5/0/0)

''

"I'll discard Thunder Sea Horse again to add two Mahunder from my deck to my hand. Then, I discard one of them to activate Lightning Vortex, clearing your field!"

"Chain," declared Snake, "With Voltage Discharge!"

''

Voltage Discharge

Spell | Quick-Play

Target 1 face-up "Voltaic" monster you control; send 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Deck to your Graveyard and destroy the targeted monster. Draw 1 card or destroy 1 card on the field.

''

"I'll send Voltaic Suppressor from my deck to the grave, destroy Magnetizer, and draw a card. Then, Magnetizer lets me return Voltaic Inducer from my grave to my hand."

"Fine, I summon Cardcar D and set two support. Then, I tribute Cardcar D to draw two cards and end my turn!"

''

Turn 6

Snake: 7500 (4/0/0) || Gabriel: 3700 (3/0/2)

''

"I activate Voltage Induction to return Voltaic Suppressor and Voltaic Stabilizer back to my hand!"

''

Voltage Induction

Spell | Normal

Add 2 Level 4 or lower "Voltaic" monsters from your Graveyard to your hand.

''

"Then, I'll summon Voltaic Suppressor and set two cards. Turn end."

''

Voltaic Suppressor

Monster | DARK | **** | ATK: 1500 | DEF: 1800

Thunder | Effect: Twice per turn: If a card you control would be destroyed: You can destroy another card instead. If this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can add 1 "Voltaic" monster from your Graveyard to your hand except "Voltaic Suppressor".

''

Turn 7

Snake: 7500 (2/1/2) || Gabriel: 3700 (4/0/2)

''

"I play Mahunder. Then, in response to the summon, I activate Judgment of Thunder, destroying your left side set card!"

"Using Suppressor's effect," stated Snake, "I'll redirect the target to my other set card - Dark Coffin! When Dark Coffin is destroyed, you can choose to either discard a card to destroy your monster."

"I'll choose the first option."

The duel disk's randomize function chose the right most card in Gabriel's hand which Gabriel proceeded to discard.

"Now, I'll use Mahunder's effect to normal summon Brohunder!"

''

Brohunder

Monster | LIGHT | **** | ATK: 1000 | DEF: 500

Thunder | Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Thunder-Type monster from your Graveyard.

''

"Using its effect," stated Gabriel, "I'll bring back Pahunder. Then, I'll overlay the three to Xyz Summon Ruler of Thunder!"

''

Ruler of Thunder

Monster | LIGHT | Rank 4 | ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000

Thunder | Xyz | Effect:

3 Level 4 Thunder-Type monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to declare 1 card type (Monster, Spell, or Trap); your opponent cannot activate that type of card, or (if Monster) cannot activate its effects, until the end of your opponent's next turn. When this card destroys a monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the monster's ATK. During the End Phase of the turn a Xyz Material was detached from this card: This card's controller takes 1000 points of damage.

''

"I declare spell," stated Gabriel as he detached a material from Ruler of Thunder, "Then, I'll enter the Battle Phase and attack your Suppressor with Ruler of Thunder!"

"I activate Dimensional Prison!"

"Chain," responded Gabriel, "With Forbidden Lance! Ruler of Thunder is now immune to spells and traps at the cost of a reduction of eight hundred attack points!"

Ruler of Thunder: (R4/X2/2500 - 1700/2000)

Ruler of Thunder raised its arm, causing a massive lightning bolt to strike Voltaic Suppressor, decimating it into a blaze of a thousand pixels.

''

Snake: 7500 - 7300

''

"Then," continued Gabriel, "Ruler of Thunder's effect activates, inflicting fifteen hundred to you!"

''

Snake: 7300 - 5800

''

"Not bad, Gab, you're really not as half bad as you used to be."

Gabriel ignored Snake's remark. "Main Phase two, I activate my set De-Xyz, returning Ruler of Thunder back into its original materials."

''

De-Xyz

Spell | Normal

Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control; return that target to the Extra Deck. Then, if all of the Xyz Materials used for the Xyz Summon of that monster are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them. If you do, your opponent can draw a card.

''

"I'll overlay the three monsters to bring back Ruler of Thunder again!"

"Doing so lets me draw a card."

"Like that'll make a difference. This time, I'll detach a material to declare monster, preventing you from using monster effects your next turn! Try to break that lock. Turn end. Now, Ruler of Thunder deals me a thousand."

''

Gabriel: 3700 - 2700

''

Turn 8

Snake: 5800 (4/0/0) || Gabriel: 2700 (1/1/0)

''

Snake smiled. "You know Gab, I'm starting to think you have what it takes to make in the Pro League. It'll be a relief knowing there's something you're good at because we all know you're not smart enough to become a hacker like me."

"Trash talking so soon? Does that you've given up on this duel?"

Snake examined the contents of his hand.

Voltaic Inducer. Voltaic Stabilizer. Mirror Force. Dark Honest.

Snake quickly scoured through the text on Dark Honest.

''

Dark Honest

Monster | Dark | **** | ATK: 1000 | DEF: 1000

During the Damage Step: You can discard this card to target 1 face-up monster you control; increase its ATK by 1000. If the targeted monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the destroyed monster's ATK.

''

_Not a bad draw. I won't be able to use it right now, but Gabriel's in no condition to kill me next turn. If I set a monster, I could at least chump block one attack if needed… But, if I summon a monster, then I might fool him into attacking me._

"I'll summon Voltaic Inducer and set a support card to end."

"A strange move," noted Gabriel with raised eyebrows, "Bringing out a monster in attack."

''

Turn 9

Snake: 5800 (4/0/0) || Gabriel: 2700 (1/1/0)

''

"If you say so," replied Snake with an expression of passive disregard.

"You're not fooling me this time brother," stated Gabriel, "I can see through your trick. You've purposefully summoned that monster in attack to trick me into attacking it. You've probably drawn Mirror Force or something."

Snake grinned. "Good deduction."

"It won't do you any good. I'll detach a material from Ruler of Thunder and declare trap. Now that support card of yours is useless! Enter Battle Phase, Ruler of Thunder, destroy Voltaic Inducer!"

Snake's grin widened as Gabriel was about to fall right into a trap. Then, Snake noticed the hopeful expression on Gabriel's face. It was composed of pure childhood innocence and delight. Something Snake hadn't seen on Gabriel's face in years, not since before the incident. Snake refrained from responding to the attack. Instead, he chose to simply put his hand on top of his deck, a signal of concession.

"I concede. You got me."

Gabriel's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, really?"

"Don't be so surprised, there's a first time for everything you know?"

"I guess this means I'm finally a better duelist than you!"

"Hey now, don't get so cocky. That was one game. One measly game out of how many?"

"Doesn't matter. This proves it. This proves that I have what it takes to take you down and make it all the way to the Pro League!"

"Keep on telling yourself that. You've got a few years to go before you can even qualify."

Snake noticed that Gabriel was too captivated in the moment to pay any attention to his older brother's counsel. Snake simply smiled and let his little brother be, delighting in the wonder of the moment.

_Maybe you will fulfill your dreams someday. You've still got a full life ahead of you. If anything, it should be my brotherly duty to help you out. I guess we'll just have to see what happens in the days to come._


	4. Snake's Story II

Snake stood in front of an old, decrepit house - no, not quite a house. The appearance conveyed the façade of a house, but the building itself was barren. The only life to have touched the inside of the building was left scarred and lifeless. Snake couldn't help himself. There was some innate urge emanating from inside of himself, deep inside, that he couldn't help but feel compelled to satisfy. Unable to resist the impulse, Snake trudged through the gap between himself and the house. Pushing through the front door, Snake walked inside.

Snake was no longer there. In his place, a young boy stood in the middle of a house - no, not quite a house. The foundation for a house was set in the stone and the wooden beams and platforms were situated exactly where they should be. It was hollow. Looking around, the boy realized that the house seemed unnaturally empty, devoid of furniture, of decorations, of any indication that the house had been lived in. The only evidence to the contrary lay inside the boy's mind, in the recesses of memories that he had locked away, memories that remained dormant until now. Then, the surroundings started shaking, gradually more and more chaotically until the surrounding walls cracked and crumbled.

A sharp scream shrieked throughout the house, piercing into the innermost core of the boy's soul. It was a familiar scream, the scream of a woman, the scream of the boy's mother. Tears slowly streamed down the boy's face as he stood in place, helpless, useless.

A shrill voice resonated through the boy's head. "Why didn't you save me?"

The boy tried to respond, "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, I couldn't do anything, I -"

Before the boy could finish the voice disappeared, replaced by the same deafening shriek from before. The boy tried to plead for forgiveness, but there was no response safe for the hollow silence of his own regret. The boy turned to observe his surroundings. Everything was left in a rubble of ruins except for one door that was somehow miraculously intact with no walls to support it. The boy slowly gulped and trudged on, through the door.

The boy was no longer a boy. Only the slightest traces of his childhood remained in the rugged exterior of a shell, a shell that bore no resemblance to its previous incarnation, a shell that covered up the cold and hardened interior of the being that the boy had transformed into.

The pre-adolescent boy whispered words of comfort to himself in a hushed tone to avoid the detection of anyone nearby. He was trying to relieve the stress of trying to disable the security system of a small diner. The lack of nutrition made it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand, but the boy didn't give up. He couldn't give up. Doing so presented the possibility of starving to death, a fate the boy tried to avoid at all costs.

"Note to self - the secondary node transmits the voltage through a reduction resistor causing the amperage to drop just enough to stimulate electrical conduits to finish the circuit."

The boy took a deep breath.

"Just relax and remember Kirchhoff's Law of Potentiation. The total electrical flux is held by a silicon transistor. That's why the secondary node has to conduct through a resistor. That's why the red wire has to have three parallel outputs. That's why the total electrical divergence has to be conserved in the residual charge. That's why I have these two light-bulbs."

The boy closed his eyes and instantly envisioned the complex circuitry that lay behind the panel, hidden behind view. The boy didn't need to see it with his eyes though. He was certain of the exact locations of every node and resistor and transmission break of the circuit inside. He had tested the exact constraints on the voltage output with two small fluorescent light-bulbs.

The boy picked up a wire with an exposed opening and tied it around a red wire on the top right corner of the open panel. He then took out a scissor with heavily padded handles and proceeded to cut the wiring around the exposed opening. Nothing happened and the boy sighed in relief. He then stuck light-bulb back into the wiring, making sure that the inner filaments connected with the exposed metal filing of the wire. The light-bulb lit up brightly. The boy finished by taping the light-bulb to the panel, holding it in place.

"Well, that was easier than I thought. I guess this must not be a very good diner. Still, any food's better than nothing."

The boy stealthily sneaked to the back door of the diner just a few meters away and opened it as quietly as he could, not bypassing any alarm or safe measure that would have been otherwise alerted had it not been for the boy's efforts, bypassing the circuitry of the security system.

As the boy's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the interior of the back of the diner, the boy could make out a digital safe box that was password protected and a few freezers that no doubt contained food just waiting to be stolen, no matter how unpleasant their odor.

The boy easily hacked through the safe to find a suitcase filled with disposable credit cards, cards filled with a certain amount of money that would render the card useless after being spent . The boy was tempted to take the suitcase, but he knew that the process through which he could extract the credit into actual money would take at least days.

_As tempting as it is, I just can't do it. Gabriel hasn't had any food in days. I can't carry this suitcase and the food in my backpack. I have to leave this here. _

The boy opened a freezer and stuffed his backpack with as many microwavable products as possible. Then, he quietly slipped away from the establishment, back into the shadows of the city outside.

After half an hour of using secret passageways to sneak into a downtrodden building in the back of a small alleyway, the boy arrived at his home. The moment the boy stepped inside, another boy, significantly smaller in stature came rushing at the pre-adolescent boy. It was Gabriel, the older boy's little brother.

"You're back! Did you get any food? I'm still really hungry…"

"Don't worry Gab," replied the older brother, "I've gotten enough wares to last us a week."

The little boy smiled in delight. The older boy smiled back, glad that he was able to cheer his brother up so much despite their present hardships.

"I'll go microwave these," said the older boy, "Dinner should be ready in five."

As the older boy started the microwave, the surroundings faded into the interior of a warehouse. The only source of a light came from a few large windows situated in the ceiling just above. The brightness illuminated the decrepit state of the scene as piles of disheveled junk of wide-ranging conglomerations were littered all around. The older boy was blindfolded and tied to a chair in the middle of the warehouse, surrounded by a group of men he could only assume to be thugs.

"Listen punk," started one of the men, "We know what you did so before you try to say something, know that if you try to lie to us, well…" The man paused as if he was considering the Appropriate choice of words to use, "Let's just say that you might be short a few fingers the next time you try to pull a stunt like that for a start. Keep it honest, and that might be all you lose, if you're lucky."

"I… I understand," muttered the boy weakly.

"Alright, take it off."

The blindfold was taken off of the boy. His eyes adjusted to the brightness of the warehouse as vision slowly returned to him. The boy could make out blurry outlines. After a few seconds, the outlines sharpened into distinct shapes, the figures of men, much bigger than the boy, all wearing masks. Some of them had handguns and knives attached to their belt buckles. It wasn't a situation the boy could get out of.

"What do you want?"

"Who sent you? What did you take? And where's your stash?"

"Stash? I don't know what you're talking a -"

Before the boy could finish his sentence, the man standing near the boy pistol-whipped the boy, causing him to spew out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"Didn't I warn you about not playing dumb?"

The boy breathed heavily for a few seconds before responding.

"I'm sorry sir, I really don't know what you're talking about! All I took was a backpack full of microwavable products. I didn't touch anything else!"

The man shook his head in irritation. Then, the man pistol-whipped the boy again with a fierce intensity. This time, the boy regurgitated a mouthful of blood.

"Maybe you'll need a little bit of convincing."

The man turned to one of the other thugs and nodded. The thug walked up to the man and gave him a pocket knife.

"Listen punk," said the man, "If you decide to play dumb one more time, that's one less finger you'll get to hold onto."

"Okay, okay. I opened up the safe box, but I didn't take anything. You can check its contents. All the credit cards should be there. I only wanted to get some food to eat. I haven't had anything to eat in days."

"Is that so? Maybe you'd like a little bit of arsenic. Have you ever tried that? I heard it has a taste to die for."

The man chuckled along with a few of the thugs.

"No, please! I swear I didn't take anything. I didn't work with anyone. I just scouted the surrounding area and noticed that the diner was the least securely protected."

"You expect me to believe a snot-nosed brat like you figured out how to disable the system?"

"Yes! I remember the circuitry perfectly. I figured out how to trace the nodes by using the light-bulbs to test the resistance capacity of the primary nodes vertically aligned to the transistors and -"

"Shut it! I hate it when stupid punks like you try to sound smart. You like trying to make me feel dumb, is that it?" The man pulled out a revolver and aimed it at the boy's forehead. "Let's see how smart you feel after I put a bullet in your head!"

"Stop," commanded a voice from behind the boy. The boy struggled to turn around to see the source of the voice.

A well-dressed man walked up to the man holding the gun to the boy's head. The boy noticed that the well-dressed man was proudly displaying his face without a mask. The boy memorized the man's facial features. It was a sharp and distinct face, easy to remember and recognize. Above all, it was a young face, indicating that the man was barely into his twenties, if at all.

"What?" demanded the man holding the gun. "This boy insulted me! He thinks I'll believe that someone like him could've broken through our security measures? He must take me for an idiot!"

"He's not far off the mark. And he's telling the truth. Let him go."

"But Al! What about all the goods he took -"

"I triple checked the contents of the safe. Nothing was missing, as he claimed. And for what he did take, the value was negligible. We can afford to let a stray urchin take some old, rotting microwavables. We're not that cheap and to insinuate that we are by holding him up like this is an insult to the sanctity of our organization."

"But -"

"I won't hear any more of it. Torturing street urchins might be a pastime of yours, but it's well below me." The man turned around to address the other thugs. "Listen, the reason I came here was to find out what the kid broke into the diner for. He's been telling the truth as far as I can tell, and as far as I can remember, I've never been wrong in my judgment before. If any of you have any trace of dignity in your system, you'll let this worthless urchin go and get back to work."

"Not without teaching him a lesson first," retorted the man as he held out a knife to the boy's eyes. "Since most people can still make do without their fingers, I've decided that your punishment must be more severe."

The boy gulped, engulfed in absolute terror. "Please, I promise, I'll never do it again!"

"Oh I'll make sure of it."

"Stop," shouted the well-dressed man known as Al, "I'm giving you a command as your senior supervisor."

"This'll teach you to never mess with the Underground League ever again."

"No!"

The man ignored Al and slashed the knife across the boy's eyes in one quick motion. The boy howled in pain. Blood steadily gushed out of the wound.

"You complete moron," stated Al in an affronted tone, "You just cost me a fortune."

Before the man holding the knife could respond, Al pulled out a revolver, aimed it at the man's forehead and pulled the trigger, causing the man's forehead to fracture into several blotched fragments of gore and sinew, splattering blood all around. The man's body collapsed onto the floor.

"And you've ruined my suit," added Al without a look of remorse. The other thugs all convulsed a little at the disturbing sight they'd just witnessed. "Listen, I want this boy's eyes treated with a medpack and bandaged. Someone call the nearest hospital for an ambulance. Tell them we'll pay the rates for top priority care. And tell them we'll need the best eye surgeon they have on staff."

The thugs all scattered to follow Al's directions. The surroundings faded like dust, swept away into oblivion. Then, the surroundings materialized into a white room filled with machinery and people dressed in scrubs. The scene became dark for a moment. Then, light returned, revealing a hospital room.

The boy was in a bed with bandages all over the top half of his head.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"Shh, shh, shh. Don't strain yourself. You've just undergone major surgery to replace your eyes with prosthetic models."

"What? Why?"

"I know this must be a shock, but remember that crazy dream you had where that despicable man slashed your eyes? It wasn't a dream."

The boy started panting heavily, almost about to hyperventilate. The man attending to the boy gently placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, a gesture made to indicate to the boy that everything was going to work out.

"Don't worry, the surgery went perfectly. You're expected to be able to see again within two days."

"Who are you and why are you doing this for me?"

"My name is Alphonso Maratoni, and I'm what you could consider to be one of the higher-ups in an organization of sorts."

"You're one of the ring leaders of the criminal organization that ran the diner then, based on the way those thugs obeyed your orders back at the warehouse. I recognize your voice, and I memorized your face, but, I can't exactly see your face right now."

"Yes, in a sense. I don't actually work for that gang of worthless scum. I'd like to think of myself as more of an associate, a supervising associate with powerful friends."

"Why did you make me undergo the surgery? It must've been expensive, and in your own words, I am a worthless street urchin."

"You can't believe everything you hear. After all, I did just spend a fortune replacing your ruined eyes with the most advanced prosthetic models available. I examined your handiwork back at the diner. Switching the output to a light-bulb to function as an internal resistor so the circuit would be unchanged? That was clever, and it requires quite an extensive understanding of the principles behind circuitry and a good deal of electromagnetism - something most kids your age couldn't even dream of understanding."

The man paused and snickered. "Most of the idiots I work with wouldn't be able to understand it either, even if they tried. What's your name kid?"

"Why?"

"Why would you care about protecting your name? It's not like you're really worth anything to anyone."

The boy didn't respond.

"Fine, have it your way," continued Alphonso, "I consider myself a skilled hacker, exceptionally skilled if I do say so. I can break into virtually any security system short of government tier without breaking a sweat. I considered myself a prodigy in my younger days and got a lot of attention for it, but earlier today, I met a kid who could break into one of my personal designs without even alerting the security system. Today, that kid made my accomplishments at his age look like child's play. That kid happens to be you, one of the most naturally talented system breakers I've ever seen. I have a proposition for you. Tell me your name, and I'll offer you a position at the organization I work for. We specialize in breaking through security systems, especially hacking. I think you'd be very good at it. Additionally, it'd be a nice change of scene for both you and your brother."

"How did you know?"

"How'd you think we found you? Those credit cards you considered snatching, they were lightly irradiated, marked so that they'd be easy to track down. I found you in your little abandoned hideout and decided to leave your brother out of this. After all, snatching kids isn't my style."

"So he's okay then?"

"Yes, I sent a friend of mine to guard the perimeter, making sure he's safe."

"How can I trust you?"

"Because I brought him here shortly after your surgery was done. In fact, he's right outside this room."

The boy heard a knocking sound, then the familiar noise of a squeaky door hinge turning from the motion of opening a door. Light footsteps were heard in a dash. Then they ceased.

"Big brother!" It was the unmistakable voice of the older boy's little brother.

"Gabriel! Is that really you? I was so worried… Did they hurt you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be? Is something wrong? Why do you have all those bandages around your head?"

"It's… complicated. I'll explain later, but for now. Alphonso, is it?"

Alphonso turned to face the older boy. "Yes?"

"I've made up my mind."

"Ah, good. So, care to reveal your name?"

"I'm afraid I don't trust you enough to tell you my real name so for now, you can just call me Snake…"

- Praetorii Headquarters -

Snake woke up, unsettled by the dream he just had. The noise woke up Gabriel, sleeping in a bed just beside Snake's.

"Snake," asked Gabriel, "What's wrong?"

Snake took a moment to clear his head and regain his bearings. "It's nothing Gab, just a bad dream."

The door to the room slid open automatically as a person approached it from the other side. Alphonso walked through the door and turned on the light.

"Something about a bad dream?" inquired Alphonso.

"It's nothing," replied Snake, "Just the result of the bad takeout I ordered yesterday, I'm guessing."

"Ah well, that's the price you pay for mistreating your body with such an unhealthy diet. So, are you two brothers fully awake?"

"I think so," replied Snake, "What about you Gabriel? Ready to start the day?"

Gabriel simply responded by collapsing back onto his bed, ignoring the presence of Alphonso.

"Let him get his rest," said Alphonso, "He needs to grow big and strong for the pro league."

"So you heard the commotion we were causing last night?"

"Of course. Don't underestimate me, Snake. I hear everything, remember?"

"How could I forget? You do have a lot of ears to hear from."

"Speaking of which, I hear that Virtual Reality Applications is releasing a public statement today. Get your daily chores finished and we'll meet in the lobby around five."

"Will do."

Snake proceeded to get ready for the day and casually gather some "donations" from some generous bank account holders.

- Later -

Snake walked into the extravagant lobby of the headquarters of the Praetorii Professionals. The foundation for the floor and the walls were constructed of pure marble, gilded with extravagent golden designs, flourishing in every direction. Sophisticated golden statues and adornments were placed around the sides of the room while a round table surrounded by three large couches was placed at the center of the room. Alphonso and two of his lackeys were relaxing on the center couch, waiting for the public statement by Virtual Reality Applications to be broadcast.

"Care to join us, Snake?" asked Alphonso as he poured a glass of finely aged Villa Bucci. "It is vintage."

"I'm not really a fan of inebriating myself," replied Snake as he took a seat on the adjacent couch, "I like to be able to think."

"Suit yourself," commented Alphonso as he started sipping from the glass, "More fine wine for me."

The screen then shifted to a man standing behind a podium, surrounded by microphones and security officers.

"Still the chatter," ordered Alphonso, "It's starting."

The man standing behind the podium cleared his throat and started speaking.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I am Drew Whitefield, a representative of the American branch of the public relations department of Virtual World Applications, the leading applied virtual technology corporation in the world. We are also one of the primary sponsors for many virtual technology gaming systems, including the Infinity Works platform that currently powers the highly anticipated Duel Portal Online game, based on the worldwide phenomenon of Duel Monsters.

"It has come to our attention that there have been many reports of technical difficulties experienced by the users of our virtual interface systems, and as such, our head engineers and developers have been looking into resolving any technical difficulties our users may be experiencing. I regret to announce that the specifics must remain undisclosed to protect the sanctity of our business practices and trade secrets. However, I have been assured that any difficulties being experienced by our users should only be temporary. Any problem we encounter is expected to be fully resolved within the week.

Therefore, please remain calm and understand that we are expected to relaunch the main servers within the next few days -"

The broadcast was suddenly cut short as static momentarily engulfed the screen. Then, the screen shifted to the image of a masked man clad in a white cloak.

"Interesting," noted Snake, "Hacking into such a highly secure broadcast couldn't be easy."

"Maybe not for you," gloated Alphonso, "But I've had quite a bit of experience."

The masked man in the screen started speaking.

"People of the world. I am an emissary of Yliaster. We have been the guardians of humanity, helping guide the progress of civilization since its inception in order to allow humanity to reach its full potential and inherit the mantle of the world.

"Through many decades of observing the state of the world as modern civilization has left it in, we have deemed modern civilization to be unworthy of inheriting such a mantle. Despite the technological breakthroughs civilization has achieved, the state of the world is rapidly deteriorating into a worse state than it has ever been. You flood your oceans with waste, your atmosphere with pollutants, and strip your lands bare to attain what little resources are left. Too many lives exist for the sake of a pointless existence of satisfying their selfish base needs leaving humanity's collective will shattered and forsaken.

"We have deemed civilization to be a deterrent to achieving the true potential humanity and therefore unworthy of existence. As civilization now thrives on the technological advancements we have provided it, so shall it fall through the abuse of these gifts. We have unleashed The Cleansing upon your civilization. As I speak, thousands of users of your virtual technology programs have been purified of their tainted existence to give humanity a chance to outgrow the corruption of civilization.

"Those who live through the purification of The Cleansing shall ascend to greatness and establish the foundation for humanity to inherit its mantle, its destiny. Those who do not prove themselves worthy shall be purified and extinguished. Do not think that you can stop The Cleansing by simply logging off of your virtual system. Those who do shall be purified first. Who among you shall be proven worthy of becoming the exemplar for humanity? Who among you shall inherit the mantle? Show us.

The broadcast terminated and the screen shifted back to the public relations speaker.

"Well, that was… unscheduled. Our network appears to be experiencing technical difficulties. It appears that we have been hacked by an outside source, probably as some kind of convoluted, tasteless joke. Our experts have disconnected this hacker and are contacting the police. As I was saying, there is no need to panic. Everything is expected to be resolved. At Virtual World Applications, our guarantee is satisfaction through perfection. Until further notice, have a good night folks, and God bless America."

Snake turned to Alphonso with a puzzled expression. "What was that about?"

Alphonso was quiet for a moment as he crossed his arms in thought. Then, Alphonso poured himself some more wine and turned to Snake.

"It's not a bluff or some kind of elaborate joke as that brainless speaker claims. The corporation's withholding information. I didn't believe it at first, but this now confirms that the reports from the local hospitals are accurate. They wouldn't try to cover up something of this scale unless they know the alternative means mass panic would ensue."

"What does that mean for me?"

Alphonso simply placed a hand on his forehead as if he was trying to alleviate stress.

"It means your job is about to get a whole lot harder."


End file.
